My Island, My World
by RobDaZombie
Summary: After a tragic accident, Keitaro is presumed dead, but in reality, he is stranded alone on a desert island. How will the girls react with the sudden loss of their manager? How will Keitaro cope with being all by himself?
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any of its characters._

…

Miraculously the thunderstorm slowed to a standstill, but the damage had already been done.

Keitaro stared into the bright sky and shivered. The waves of water, at their strongest, only managed to splash at his ankles though he paid no attention to that small detail. All his clothes were ruined and soaked to the point where they looked like sludge dripping off his body. Due to his unlikely survival, he was forced to think of the one and only conclusion… his 'immortality'. Keitaro was blessed with an incredible resistance to any kind of impact, an impressive trait compared to the rest of his otherwise useless abilities. Whether this myth was true or whether he was just lucky all the time remained a mystery. Right now however, this blessing felt like the worst of curses. Being alive was a sin.

Slowly he walked from the shallow waves into the scorching sand, carrying his water clogged shoes and socks. The remains of the backpack nearly slid off his arm… it wasn't even his own backpack but at this stage that didn't seem to matter. Nothing seemed to matter.

Without his glasses everything was a blur. He knew the island wasn't Molmol… it was much, _much _too small for an island of that capacity. Squinting he could make out a small structure entirely scattered with rocks and many palm trees, waving their pointed green leaves as if to greet their first outlander.

Finally he realised the reality of this situation. Gravity deserted him as he lowered himself to his knees. A single tear trickled down his cheek, which quickly formed into many. He cried like he was a child, desperately seeking comfort from anybody. He wished he just disappeared off the face of the earth. At this stage he even hoped that he was never born. Over the years he wondered if lady luck turned his back on him, inflicting him by altering his looks, by degrading his personality and by giving him no sense of confidence. Now it seems like hope himself has also cowardly crept behind Keitaro, waiting for the right moment to repeatedly stab him in the back.

Keitaro recollected some of his memory, which only made the pain worse. Just for failing a stupid entrance exam twice, he was kicked out of the very house he grew up in, forced to fend for himself. Hinata-Sou should have been a blessing, an all girls dormitory and he was the only male manager. That should have been the turning point in his life, it was every man's wildest fantasy to work in such a place full of attractive girls, but in fact even this dream took a turn for the worst. He just failed to fit in such an environment, just like he failed to fit in this change of climate.

All his motives up to this point. All his dreams and fantasies. Everything he lived for, breathed for, hoped for…

As the flashbacks formed back to the grim reality, Keitaro's limp body fell to the sand. His life had come to an end…

…

**My Island, My World**

**Chapter One**

…

"Onii-chan! Onii-chan! Onii-chan! Onii-chan!"

Kaolla's shouting quickly filled the bedroom which one Keitaro Urashima was trying to get an extra minutes sleep. Her words were strung together so fast that it nearly sounded like 'ni-cha' a dozen times over. Now Keitaro's alarm clock blasted into a series of bleeping noises. Nobody one earth could sleep through such an inferno racket, especially now since Kaolla was bouncing, or rather, stomping up and down the floor.

Another morning in the life of Hinata-Sou.

Wondering why he was gifted ears, Keitaro groaned deeply as he stretched his arms as far as possible. He almost jumped backwards in fright when the first thing his eyes came to focus on was Kaolla's bright beaming face. They were so close that the tip of their noses just slightly touched one another's.

"Su-san… morning…" Keitaro grunted, leaning over to one side.

"Come on Keitaro! Time to get ready!" The foreigner pointed out.

'_Why is she always this ecstatic? It's not like she's the one going on holiday…'_

Suddenly Keitaro found his pyjama shirt becoming undone, button by button. Now Kaolla was trying to take his clothes off…

"Come on! Get ready! Get ready!"

"Cut it out! I can get ready by myself!"

"You you can't! You need my assistance!"

"Get off!"

"Hehehehe!"

Keitaro's bedroom door creaked open, revealing a true vision of beauty dressed in a pale pink dressing gown and a pair of bright yellow Liddo-kun slippers. She was of course Naru Narusegawa, Keitaro's possible promise girl that he might have met several years ago, along with one or two other predictions. Rubbing her petit eyes she was just about to bid her manager a good morning when she rubbed her eyes again, blinking a couple of times to make sure it wasn't an optical illusion. It wasn't… Kaolla Su really did have her hands all over Keitaro's topless body, and the reality was made even worse when Keitaro tried to push her off by firmly pressing her breasts (accidentally of course). The anger in the air was enough for Kaolla's senses to kick in as she instinctively ran away, giggling to her self all the way downstairs.

Naru's rage was like a thermometer rising to the boiling point. If Keitaro wasn't laughing nervously in Naru's direction, then her opinion of him being a pervert might have been nullified… though the chances of that were still very low.

…

Today was going to be a very special day for the clumsy but kind hearted ronin. Last week his college friends Haitani, Shirai and Kentaro invited him to a guys only holiday, a two week vacation. The chosen destination was to be the beautiful island known as Molmol. It was Kentaro that thought up of the idea since he visited the location a couple of years ago, and he loved every second he stayed there.

Overjoyed that he was to be reunited with his long time friends Keitaro nearly forgot about the Naru punch embedded on his right cheek. No more punches and no more demonic ki attacks… just to be away from Motoko and Naru was enough to classify as a holiday.

He whistled a merry tune to himself, brushing his teeth in the bathroom. Nothing was going to take his spirits away.

…

After a perfectly prepared breakfast by Shinobu, Keitaro wasted no time lingering in the main living room. He bowed gracefully to Hinata's youngest before once again heading back to his bedroom, making sure to grab any last minutes items.

There was now five girls minus a ronin circled around the dining table… the way it should be in an all girls dormitory. The silence radiating around them was uncomfortable to say the least, although eventually Kitsune, the crafty one of the bunch was the first to break the ice.

The fox gently placed a hand on her cheek, remembering all the mishaps Keitaro has gotten himself into. "I don't know about you guys but I'm sure going to miss that nitwit."

Motoko opened her mouth, wanting to state her harsh opinion on the pathetic ronin… well pathetic in her eyes at least. In the end she decided to keep quiet. There was girls like Shinobu that would no doubt be poisoned from her words. Naru's reaction was also speechless but her aura was somewhat different from the emotionless swordswoman.

"I-I s-suppose I w-will miss him." Shinobu stuttered, looking down on her finished plate.

"Me too!" Kaolla added. "He was going to be my guinea pig for my latest invention! The Gauntlet of Resisting Fire!" Everyone shuddered after hearing Kaolla's opinion. They could just imagine what the genius would use to test out her experiment.

"…anyway…" Kitsune continued, trying to keep the conversation on its subject. "I remember my college days… well the ones I attended to anyway. Ah yes me and my boyfriend… we were so attracted to each other… we were almost inseparable. And that time he left for a few hours I was phoning him every five minutes. I took up smoking, drinking… hell he was like a knight in shining armour…"

The next voice was from Naru, who instantly blasted her emotions by rising from her seat.

"OH FOR GOODNESS SAKE I DON'T MISS HIM THAT MUCH OKAY?!?"

Kitsune, Motoko, Kaolla and Shinobu all together stared in the direction of Naru, who at this time quickly covered her mouth in shock. The grey haired fox could read her friend like a book suitable for the kindergarteners.

Kitsune imitated the role of a famous detective on television, studying Naru's body language by just raising an eyebrow. _'Uh… well I'll just see if Keitaro needs any help.'_

"Uh… well I'll just see if Keitaro needs any help." Naru said, hoping that she escaped herself out of that awkward little predicament.

As soon as the hazel haired beauty rushed upstairs there was a knock on the door outside.

"I'll get it." Motoko spoke, with little enthusiasm. She opened the main door and was greeted by a bean pole with a mop of brown hair which was tied up in a horsetail fashion.

"Hey Motoko!" Haitani blared out, the loudness of his voice filling Motoko's eardrums. A cold stare from the kendo mistress was enough to snap Haitani out of his stupidity. "Um… is Keitaro ready?"

Motoko turned to her side, calling out to Keitaro who was still busy upstairs.

"Haitani's here!"

"Okay thanks Aoyama-san!"

Haitani beamed with pride. _'This is sweet! Motoko remembered my name!' _

When Motoko wondered what on earth the lanky numbskull was happy about, all Haitani managed to do was laugh nervously, one of the pointless but cute traits he had.

…

Just by the Hinata Tea Shop, Haruka, Hinata's oldest and wisest of the group casually lit her first cigarette of the morning. She tried to ignore the mass of male testosterone that consisted of Shirai, Haitani and Kentaro who were all eagerly waiting for the forth member to arrive. The trio were chilling out in Kentaro's very own bright red convertible.

'_Boys will be boys.' _She mused to herself. A couple of times she managed to catch Shirai staring straight at her. The small tubby one, for some reason had a massive crush on Haruka since he was well known for preferring older women.

Finally Keitaro, who at this stage already looked like a tourist from another country, was all set and raring to go. He felt nervous yet excited at the same time, looking forward to getting away from it all but slightly worried that Haitani and Shirai might force him to date several female islanders.

Everything was set. Kentaro pressed the car alarm several times to indicate they were just about to leave.

"Take care of yourself kiddo." Haruka's words trailed off as the convertible zoomed off into the distance. The rest of the girls then followed Haruka's leading role with goodbyes of their own. Even Motoko casually waved, who was also trying to dismount the energetic foreigner latched onto her back. Kaolla of course was shouting manically as usual. Shinobu's petit voice unfortunately was lost in the chorus of the other girls.

"And don't forget to use protection!" Kitsune smirked.

The only girl who wasn't waving or shouting was Naru. With an innocent looking wide eyed expression, Naru was fixated from the spot, a slight distance away from everyone else.

As the sound of the car exhaust faded away, so did the goodbyes and cheers. With the disappearance of Keitaro things really would be back to normal… or so they thought…

…

…

…

Keitaro lifted his face from the sand… to his disappointment he was still breathing… living. No matter how many times he opened and closed his eyes he was still in the same cursed island. The very island that he will live for the rest of his life.

'_To end like this… to end… like this…'_

_**(To be Continued…)**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

After a very smooth cruise, Kentaro and his proverbial guests of honour had now arrived at the terminal. The majority of airports were usually filled with an assortment of families, travellers and businessmen, and the airport at Tokyo was by no means different. Even at this early hour people were barging one another, all making sure they were carrying their passports and other important requirements. Fortunately the group of four didn't have to wait for slow queues or flight delays because Kentaro was one step ahead…

During the car trip Kentaro had informed his friends that they were flying via his own personal airship, an airborne vehicle that he and his father spent many tiresome months constructing. Naturally Shirai and Haitani were overjoyed, whilst Keitaro simply smiled politely. He was excited yet secretly nervous.

After only walking a few steps in the terminal, two gentlemen dressed in identical blue suits bowed in greeting to Kentaro, which Kentaro just nodded back. One of the men took his car keys away whilst the other informed him the ship will be ready in fifteen minutes. Everyone that knew Kentaro remembered that he is indeed a very wealthy person.

Not one to idly wait around, Haitani, the taller, lanky one of the group rushed around the place like a hyperactive child.

"Hey guys check this out!" He shouted. The rest of the gang shrugged, deciding to see what Haitani was so ecstatic about. "It's one of those elephant guru things!"

Haitani was correct, though his description was rather simplistic. Some people believe certain idols, animals or statues would bring them eternal happiness if constantly worshipped. However, you would have to be completely insane to believe in 'Pinky the wish giving elephant guru', which was essentially just a glorified cash making device.

Haitani was one of those insane people.

With excitement, he pulled out a 20 yen coin from his pocket, gingerly placing the coin in the machine slot. He shook both hands together when the giant elephant statue glowed in a variety of colours.

"What-is-your-wish?" The elephant spoke in a robotic voice, proof positive that it wasn't a real animal.

Haitani trembled for a short while before finally exploding like an erupting volcano. "I WISH MOTOKO WILL FALL IN LOVE WITH ME!"

He shouted so loudly the whole terminal fell silent for a few seconds. Soon afterwards the machine lightly vibrated, causing a tiny plastic elephant to fall out of another larger slot into his hand. Tiny words were imprinted on its forehead that read 'your wish has been granted'.

"Oh right! My wish came true!" Haitani cheered, punching a fist in the sky.

An embarrassed Kentaro raised his eyebrows. "Does he always speak this loud?"

Shirai sighed. "Always."

Keitaro pondered for a moment, then decided to follow Haitani's lead. To most people, fortune and wishes were nothing but a bunch of mystic mumbo jumbo, but to Keitaro he felt it was as real as science.

"Hey guys I'm going to try my luck too." Keitaro announced, fumbling his jean pockets for any source of income. At that time one of the suit wearing gentleman returned to greet Kentaro once more.

"Sir, your airship is ready and waiting."

…

…

…

The weather was brilliantly beaming with sunlight, such weather the girls would dare not waste indoors. It was only thirty minutes since Keitaro's departure and Hinata-Sou drastically changed from a twenty four hour craze fest to something… rather ordinary.

Motoko seemed to be her normal self once again. In fact since the manager had left she was the happiest of the bunch. No pervert was around when she was practising her sword techniques. No pervert was around when she was only half dressed in her kendo outfit. To her, it was a feeling similar to a bird who had just been released from its cage. The disciplined one posed an elegant stance, remaining motionless for a few seconds before resuming her training.

With the absence of her nephew, Haruka resumed her usual role in the house that consisted of sorting out all the little things Keitaro used to handle. Little things like moping the floors and defusing the teddy bear time bombs Kaolla liked leaving in certain areas. Though she never gave the poor lad any praise, Haruka knew in her heart he deserved every segment of the word. Most of the time Keitaro worked like a driven force, a slave without querying anything. Now every time she complained that there was too much work to do, she would mentally slap herself and think of her nephew.

Away from everyone else, Naru looked up at the sun in the sky. Although the warmth embraced her, she still felt the need to wrap her arms around her waist. Uninterested, she watched Haruka in the background, killing some leftover time by cleaning the windows of her old tea shop. After that brief intermission, Naru decided to turn her attention to the rest of the girls.

Just by the hot springs, Kaolla used a mechanical device that hurled paper plates high into the air. Effortlessly the swordswoman performed bounding leaps, splitting the airborne targets one by one. Kitsune and Shinobu had the easiest job since they were playing the role of the audience. The fox grinned as she marvelled Motoko's performance, whist the younger girl started to feel drowsy under the suns presence. Kaolla noticed this and aimed the mechanical device directly at Shinobu, blasting the paper plate right onto her face.

Naru quietly giggled to herself as she watched Shinobu and Kaolla wrestle to the ground, but sadly that light-hearted moment only sidetracked her for a short moment. The hazel haired teenager slowly closed her eyes, allowing her mind to embark on all those past times she and the girls were with their manager. Keitaro was only gone for little more than half an hour, but Naru already felt a part of her was empty. She observed all the girls, fixating each one for just a few seconds. Everyone else seemed to be comfortable with themselves… … why not her?

Sighing in defeat, Naru quietly made her way inside Hinata-Sou. The living room felt so cold and lifeless, something that Naru would never expect such a house to be.

…

…

…

The airship sailed elegantly through the clouds. Kentaro's production team was extremely well organised; his father was navigating him through the communications device whereas the other staff members were pinpointing his location through various radar systems. In short, he had more of less everything figured out.

Of course Kentaro wouldn't dare allow anyone but himself to steer the ship, especially Haitani who consumed one too many bottles of alcho-pops. Whilst everyone else was pre-occupied, Haitani thought it would be fun to play the 'how much of our stuff can we shove into Keitaro's bag' game. Haitani plus alcohol was an equation best left unanswered.

"Hey Keitaro, you alright?" Shirai questioned, sitting on the seat next to his. "You haven't said a word since we took off."

"Youse better not be worried about the Toudai Exams." Haitani pitched in, still drunk from the booze. "I know this is the third time we've taken them, but hey we all gonna pass I knows it!"

Kentaro interrupted the passengers behind him. "Pfft, you lot are still trying to get into Toudai? Just give it up and get a job already. Hell, you could work for me if you want."

At this stage the three ronins wanted to physically stop Kentaro's put downs, but the fact that he spent so much time and money preparing this trip forced them to suggest otherwise.

Finally Keitaro decided to speak for himself. "Sorry for being quiet you guys… it… just feels weird y'know? I couldn't wait to go abroad… now… I don't know… I know it sounds lame but I really miss them all."

"By 'all' you just mean Naru." Haitani nudged. "Come on admit it you love her don't you?"

Keitaro gazed upwards, wondering if someone so beautiful could ever have feelings for someone like him. "Well… yeah I guess I do."

Once again Kentaro felt he needed to barge himself into the conversation. "Oh come on! Why bother? Naru is way out of your league. No offence but charm and wealth knock all girls dandy, and you have neither of those."

"Yeah… I guess so."

…

Time passed slowly as the airship continued its steady course.

"So Keitaro what did you wish for?" Shirai tried breaking the ice.

"Huh?"

"C'mon man I told you my wish." Haitani added.

"You told _everyone _your wish." Kentaro shook his head.

Keitaro smiled a sad smile, holding his miniature elephant in the palm of his hand. "That's a secret."

"Oh man! That's like the king of lame…"

"…"

"…"

"Hey you guys hear that…?"

"Hear what?"

A low rumbling noise suddenly emitted from outside the ship. Lightning had struck, surrounding the sky with light. Fortunately it landed nowhere near the airborne vehicle but even so the very sound of the downpour which started seconds later stopped everyone in their conversation. The rain grew louder and louder until it was the only thing that could be heard.

"Kentaro we should land." Keitaro said, obviously frightened.

"And how the hell should I do that genius?" Kentaro retorted, struggling with his many controls and other gadgetry. "In case you hadn't realised were surrounded by the whole damn ocean."

Kentaro gritted his teeth as he heard the rumbling in the sky become more sinister. Everything inside shook violently, including the passengers who desperately clutched onto their chair arms. Shrouded by static, Kentaro's father was heard throughout the communications device.

"Kentaro… … are y-you alright?! … … …"

"Dad!" Kentaro cried.

"… All I'm getting… … all I'm getting is static … … can you hear me? Son! Can… you **_(bzzt)_**…"

Kentaro gripped his hands firmly on the control device, the frustration easily shown on his face. At long last the rain slowed to a standstill. The feeling felt like forever though it was in fact only five minutes. Five minutes of mayhem and distress.

At the same time everyone breathed a gasping sigh of relief. Haitani, who was drunk just a short moment ago sobered up in an instant. This was certainly not a time to act stupid anymore.

"Okay the communication system is down but everything else in still intact. My radars indicate that if I remain on course we can still make it to Molmol."

Nobody else knew or cared what Kentaro was talking about, they just wanted the answer to one simple question…

"How long to go?" Shirai quietly replied.

Kentaro relaxed his arms a little. "Not much further… …hey… don't tell me the fearless ronin trio were scared?"

A thick coat of greyness surrounded the sky…

"Not me!"

"I wasn't scared!"

"Maybe a little…"

"Liars, you were all peeing your pants, unlike I Kentaro, the most fearless pilot in the wor-"

The second bolt of lightning made no sound when struck, but caused a chaotic explosion when it blasted all the computerised devices Kentaro was operating. The airship jolted sharply to the front, causing Kentaro to crash head first into the steering system. There was no time to react.

"Kentaro!" Shirai cried, rushing to his aid though by this time it was far too late. A catastrophic chain reaction followed, completely tearing apart the nozzle of the airship. Flames quickly engulfed Shirai, who screamed horribly before collapsing near to the seat of Kentaro.

Haitani and Keitaro were left stranded inside the remainder of the wreckage, which was now plummeting like a rock. Keitaro just stood there looking completely pale whilst Haitani was silently speaking in tongues, whimpering as tears streamed down on his face.

"Haitani! Listen to me! We gotta get out of here!" Keitaro found himself saying, but it was no use. Haitani refused to act, to listen or do anything despite the consequences that was forced upon him.

Keitaro closed his eyes tightly, then opened them again, trying to see a new light. Whatever instinct he was acting on, he decided to reach for his belongings and take one gigantic deep breath.

The remainder of the ship finally crashed into the ocean. With his bag in one hand Keitaro struggled desperately to reach the surface. Before he did just that, he managed to shoot a glance at his friend. All Keitaro could see were Haitani's eyes widened with shock as the rest of him floated motionlessly. Keitaro had to get out fast or he would quickly join his friend.

The sole survivor gasped for air as his head bobbed out of the ocean, but the question was how long did he have left? His entire body was becoming colder with each passing breath, and the waves were becoming more vicious by the second. A sudden blast of water splashed all over his face, causing him to lose his glasses. His vision became blurry… he can barely tell the difference between the sky and the ocean. Another wave forced him to go underwater again, but quickly he struggled back up before he could lose consciousness.

As brave as he was however… the ocean picked him up and threw him back down like a titan throwing a child. Keitaro was steadily getting weaker… and weaker… until he could take no more…

…everything went black…

…

…

…

…

Late evening came, and at long last, the cordless phone rang.

"Who does this idiot think he is ringing up at this time?!" Naru muttered to herself, stomping her way to the living room.

"Woah. Mad woman at 12o'clock." Kitsune gulped, smartly stepping to one side.

Naru wasted no time in grabbing the phone, speaking her mind before the receiving end had a chance to reply. "You bastard! Were you having such a good time that you nearly forgot to ring?! Well?!"

The voice on the receiving end was very quiet. "Hello? May I speak to Haruka?"

Listening to a feminine voice surprised Naru to no end. "Speaking?"

"Please. I want to speak to Haruka."

Wondering who would want to talk to Haruka this time of night, Naru called out her name. "Haruka-san!"

Haruka walked down the stairs. "See? I knew my nephew would ring sooner of later."

"It's not Keitaro."

Haruka raised an eyebrow, changing her attitude entirely. "Oh? Who is it then?"

Naru shrugged, gently passing on the phone. "Didn't say…"

"Hello? … … … Onesan! … … What's wrong…? … Keitaro…? What about him…?"

…

It didn't register at first but when Keitaro's mother repeated the message over and over it finally sunk in…

The girls all formed a circle around Haruka…

Haruka's actions spoke louder than any words could. Releasing her grip… the phone crashed to the floor…

_**To be continued…**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

His eyes opened very slowly, experiencing what he believed to be the distant world, the afterlife. For what seemed like an eternity, Keitaro Urashima felt weightless. His body felt like he had transformed into an agile spirit, dancing through the clouds without any boundaries. For some reason his friends were there with him, all laughing together without a care in the world. As soon as he experienced this unknown and incredible happiness, everyone slowly disappeared. All his friends; Haitani, Shirai and Kentaro, one by one vanished as they each performed bounding leaps into the distant sun. Floating in the sky, Keitaro's mind was filled with confusion and despair. Why, after this blissful experience, why did he find himself alone? Why did they leave him?

He floated slowly towards the ground. His eyes took on another vision. One that was all too familiar.

Waves of cold water reached his feet but Keitaro refused to acknowledge anything other than the hallucinating sight shifting before him. A sandcastle emerged just a short distance away from him. Beside the castle was a beautiful girl holding a bucket and spade. She was trying her best to expand her creation. Her concentration dispelled as Keitaro moved a little closer towards this vision. The girl turned to face the confused man, giving him a pretty eye smile. She only looked about five years old.

"Come on! Wake up sleepyhead!" The girl chirped, handing him her own bucket and spade. All other ambience had been nullified… distant... …eventually all other sounds disappeared. Only the girl and Keitaro were heard.

Still deep in confusion, Keitaro nonetheless accepted her offer. For some reason this was a feeling all too real for him. Tired, he filled up the bucket, placing it upside-down on the ground next to the castle. The end result wasn't exactly his best performance since most of the top part seemed to crumble away.

"Hehehe! Silly!" The girl giggled, holding both hands over her mouth. "That's not how you make a sandcastle. You have to lift the bucket up gently. Then all the sand will be in place!"

Keitaro looked at his disaster piece, now resembling more of a mud hut than a castle.

"Oh." He simply replied.

…

After a short while the two of them were together working on this castle. The small girl reformed the castle by cupping the sand, reinforcing the outer layer. On the other side Keitaro gently patted around the creation using the spade. For some reason the girl would blush to herself whenever she was caught looking at the confused man. Time practically flew by… yet… time also stopped.

Once again the girl broke the silence. Keitaro's mouth had frozen, noticing a new change in his 'friend'. He watched as a great transformation took place. He only blinked twice, and now the girl revealed herself to somebody he knew all too well. That girl who he met in Hinata-Sou. Her hair extended to a much greater length. Her eyes were more wider and innocent looking. Her clothing had also changed. It was a beautiful rose coloured dress that reached to her knees.

She stood up, still looking at Keitaro. The wind blew a little stronger, allowing her golden brown hair to flow wildly like seagulls in the sky. Instinctively, Keitaro also stood up, meeting the girl eye to eye. They were both about the same height. His knees almost buckled when he felt the slender touch of her hand caressing his cheek.

"Don't forget about our promise… Kei-kun…" Her words… barely a whisper…

The girl leaned towards him. She hugged him, tightening the embrace each passing second. Her lips nearly met his… but that fantasy was denied. The wind blew strong again. She disappeared like sand would at the palm of one's hand. Keitaro tried desperately to grab hold of her, but only succeeded in clutching thin air.

…

Every inch of him refused to move, until the waters demanded him to. Still barely conscious, Keitaro clawed his way through the sand, forcing the rest of him to follow. His movement was painfully slow. There was no more fantasies surrounding him. No more visions. No more illusions. The only reality he recognised was the massive sunlight pounding his back and piercing his sight.

Slowly he walked from the shallow waves into the scorching sand…

Without his glasses everything was a blur…

This island… this island could never be Molmol…

Keitaro recollected some of his memory… only making the pain far worse…

All his motives up to this point. All his dreams and fantasies. Everything he lived for, breathed for, hoped for…

He collapsed… his face endlessly streaming with tears. He wept for so long he couldn't even remember why he was crying. Then the past struck him again. The agony of living from an infant to a teenager. The way he was treated… school… girls… exams. He cursed, using words that he would not dare say in front of his family… or anyone. He was confused. Alone. He was free… yet also trapped. He was allowed to say anything he wanted to say, do whatever he pleased. All his pent up emotions, frustrations… especially frustrations.

Keitaro ran recklessly towards the closest palm tree he could find, striking a clenched fist at the solid trunk. His arms were so numb he barely felt any pain. He punched the same target again and again… this time the agony quickly registered his brain. He screamed out loud. Random words. He screamed to release a portion of his suffering. He shouted so loudly that he felt blood at the back of his throat.

Finally he stopped punishing his own hands. His knuckles were filled with multicoloured bruises. The pain was now unbearable.

He shouted again. He roared psychotically at everything around the island. The palm trees, the clouds, even a stony cave near the centre took a verbal punishment from the twisted ronin. He ran to the cave, punching the stony structure. This time the bruises burst, exploding gore around his hand, dripping off his fingers and into the sand. At this point he fell over backwards. His skull made a dull impact on the ground. Nothing made any sense. Keitaro was a swirling sphere of agony.

The sky was pale blue and the clouds slowly shifted away from his vision. Every minor and major event that took part in his life all merged into one mass of confusion. His dreams made no sense. Reality was a farce. It was an experience worse than death. An experience worse than hell.

It was the experience of being truly alone…

…

…

…

…

…

"_Everyone… I… I have some important news…"_

_Haruka was now the centre of attention. Every pair of eyes were glued on to her. How to explain the loss of your nephew to a group of girls, two of which were no older than thirteen, was nearly impossible._

"… … _it's about my nephew, Haitani, Kentaro and Shirai…"_

_The tone in her voice was so soft that it was obvious something was wrong. Haruka, not wanting to dramatise every aspect of the story, decided to be blunt and straight to the point. She exhaled a deep, sorrowful sigh._

"…_there has been an accident regarding the Sakata Airship… …"_

_All this time Haruka wasn't facing anyone but the floor. There was no way she could look up to any of them. A long pause followed. She didn't want to go into anymore detail then she had to._

"… … _n-nobody survived…"_

_Haruka instantly rose to her seat, quickening her pace as she walked outside of Hinata-Sou…_

…

…

…

…

Hinata-Sou was completely silent. Naru, Kitsune, Motoko, Kaolla and Shinobu were all inside their bedrooms. Occasionally muffled crying was heard. From morning to afternoon to evening, not one of them even opened their door.

Inside the teashop Haruka surrounded herself with coffee cups around the oaken table. Her personality was like a diamond; incredibly tough, but easily shattered if one should find the correct method. She sunk deeper into her thoughts… deeper… and deeper… until the diamond inside of her started to crack. All these emotions were locked tightly in her mind. Haruka was quietly confident for so long she almost forgot what it felt like to have emotions. Until now.

She didn't finish her last cup before hurling it towards the wall, causing a fragmented burst of shattered china and coffee. Snarling, she then flung every other cup in any direction possible, clearing the table as if clearing her own mind. Haruka couldn't believe what she was doing, but she couldn't control herself. She found herself becoming increasingly malicious. With both arms she repeatedly bashed every inch of the table below her. Her hands were clenched. Her teeth visibly gritted. Tears streamed down her face.

"What was Kentaro's father thinking?" Haruka screamed, emphasising every word. "Did he even know that airship was safe? **_He _**should have been the one piloting… not his son…"

Haruka's eyes were tinted with red, her cheeks puffed out. This accident would scar the lives of four families, and of course everyone that knew them well.

"It's just not fair…" She whimpered, clasping her hands like a prayer. "It's not fair…"

Much to her relief, the gem was starting to shape itself again. A weak smile appeared on her face. Memories started to creep inside her mind. Happy memories. Ignoring the broken china scattered everywhere, Haruka began to indulge in these thoughts.

The greatest memories of all was when Keitaro was no more than five. He radiated with so much confidence when he was little. He was waist high to Haruka, and he would always tug her apron when he wanted her to play with him. Keitaro was like a playful little puppy always demanding attention when Haruka's back was turned. Keitaro would always call her Auntie Haruka, and Haruka would always playfully bonk him on her head with a wooden spoon. When he was in his teens, some people would look at him as a bit of a weirdo, but Haruka always looked beneath those rectangular glasses. To her he was a charming and attractive young man that every girl would be lucky to be with. At times, Haruka almost wished Keitaro was her _son_, not her nephew. She wished she had complemented him more often.

With an angry, tearless sigh Haruka stood up and carefully walked to the door. She felt guilty leaving the girls to their sorrow. They needed her support more than anything else.

The door creaked open. Standing outside in a huddled group were all the young girls. All of them were mortified. Their emotions were far from invisible. Each girl loved Keitaro in their own special way.

Naru's study buddy.

Kitsune's cute little plaything.

Shinobu's sempai.

Kaolla's onii-chan.

Motoko's secret crush.

One by one, the girls embraced the woman.

Haruka finally shared her own emotions with them.

To her it was a much needed release.

"_My nephew… if only you could see how much we all miss you…_

…_dearest Keitaro…_

…_I love you so much."_

…

…

…

…

…

Quickly, the sky turned from white to grey. The weather could be best described as metronomic; sizzling sunshine, torrential downpours and icy winds all followed in a twisted cycle. The watery waves around the island grew more violent as the sky eventually reached pitch black.

Inside the small cave was the only source of shelter. Every bone in Keitaro's body shook like a leaf. No more crying, no more anger. Keitaro was only thinking about one thing. Keep warm. Survive.

Whereas Haruka shattered her own emotional resistances, Keitaro picked up the pieces.

That special promise he made. That special promise… that was his fuel. His ambition.

His fire.

…

_**To be Continued…**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Greeted by the terrific sunlight caused Keitaro to awake from his drowsy slumber. He could hear the smouldering sounds his feet made the moment he took his first steps into the sand. He squinted as his eyes looked upwards to the sky. The visible morning sun truly was a magnificent sight to behold.

Keitaro came to realise this very island is the perfect haven… and also the perfect prison. He was trapped… yet the sound of absolute silence made him feel free. Free from all the hardships he had to endure when he worked in the all girls dormitory.

Hinata Sou. It was only yesterday since he departed from the majestic estate. Now… it almost felt like he never set foot there.

Keitaro let out a woeful sigh.

"_I guess it's for the best. They never wanted me anyway."_

The ronin crossed his legs as he sat down, observing this once in a lifetime situation. His self inflicted wounds slowly began to heal, of that he expected given his immortal blessing. Of course his mental wounds were a completely different theory altogether.

…

…

Ripples began to emit through the once quiet waves of water. Keitaro blinked a couple of times, believing he must have been seeing things, but when a tiny fish leapt through the sky, only one thought crossed his mind.

Food.

Another fish, larger than the previous one, sprung vertically before making an impressive splash. He could only watch on as many more followed the sequence. The shore was practically filled with them. It was time to seize this great opportunity, but unfortunately Keitaro wasn't exactly well versed in the art of fishing. In a more, clearer sense, he developed an art for running manically onto the shore, grasping anything that moved.

His first steps into the sea caused all the fish to scatter like darts. Keitaro even jumped for the edible prizes, but those prizes were completely out of his reach. After minutes of rushing frantically, his luck was all but spent. These fish never were suited to be caught by his careless hands.

He dropped to his knees, almost forgetting about the waves that threatened to cover him. He slowly tilted his head upwards to gaze back at the island he was destined to live in, but noticed a single fish struggling helplessly in the sand. It must have got washed onto the shore, and it didn't take a genius to realise that the helpless fish was Keitaro's only meal ticket.

Keitaro dived into the sand, ignoring the heat it produced that singed his chest. With both hands he grasped the food, tightening the grip so there was not a chance it would escape despite its efforts. The fish was a simple grey colour, and it was about the size of the ronin's finger.

He wasted no time in devouring the salt water, the bones and the scales that composed of this sorry excuse for a meal.

…

…

After his 'hunt', Keitaro decided to relax beside one of the palm trees, making the most of what shade he could find. Even with the pointed green leaves shielding him, the sunlight still managed to find a way to take advantage of his exposed body. It was only day one, and already he felt like he was wearing primitive clothing, since most of it had been rendered near to useless. In this fateful morning, he only wore (now soaking wet) jeans that were rolled up to his ankles.

His stomach growled heavily, as if it felt relieved to finally have something inside. Of course it was only a matter of time before his hunger demanded a lot more.

Putting all thoughts to one side, Keitaro placed his hands behind his head, earning himself a little nap. It was at that moment, a rather large coconut fell to the sand just inches away from the ronin's skull, making a dull, solid sound on impact. Naturally, he nearly jumped out of his skin, realising that even sunbathing was a dangerous task.

Although the coconut was cracked slightly due to the fall, Keitaro still had a difficult time breaking it open against the tree. He never excepted the rounded exterior to be _this _tough, but eventually he managed to break it in two, lifting his head as he gulped the contents down his throat.

The results were less than satisfactory.

Keitaro nearly choked to the ground. The contents were nothing short of vile! He was expecting the rich thick flow of full fresh milk, not some thin, repulsive and watery liquid.

Retaining his composure, Keitaro once again leaned by the trunk, not caring if a second coconut came crashing onto him. He chuckled inwardly at some sick joke; Urashima Keitaro, found dead on a desert island because a villainous coconut fell on his head. Considering his embarrassment he labelled a life, he only found it fitting to end in such a way.

With breakfast, and possibly lunch finished for the day, there was nothing else he could do, so he sat back and observed the clear blue sky… with tired… misty eyes.

…

…

…

…

…

…

Despite Haruka going through every possible emotion, the aunt of one departed nephew still found the courage to go through another day of work at her tea shop. It was more than an escape if anything. An escape from living a still life of pain, sorrow and regret.

The tea shop was still a very busy place. There was always a varied number of customers which always gave the mood a more interesting edge to an otherwise busy schedule. After a short while, Haruka simply pushed the ambience to one side. Although Keitaro had departed from her sight, he was always there, smiling by her side.

…

Hinata Sou is now an empty, hollow estate. All the excitement, the thrills, the laughter… every day was like a roller coaster ride of madness. There was no such thing as a normal day… and even the normal days were unpredictable to say the least.

Naru, Kitsune and Motoko all patiently waited for breakfast to be served, all of them seated by the table of the main living room. Of course, none of the older residents said a single word. Their expressions were paved with sadness, yet they were quite varied from one another.

Kitsune sniffed a couple of times, blinking back the many tears that dared to flow through her cheeks. She was completely paved with guilt… looking behind all those times when Keitaro would work so hard, and all she did was bribe him into a false sense of lust, deceiving his mind just so she could avoid the rent that had already been overdue months ago. Motoko's body language remained still and silent, but her eyes told a different, tragic story altogether. Her brown, misty orbs looked at nothing but the table beneath her. Every so often her hands would shake briefly, slight but obvious signs that the swordswoman was a completely different girl from before. Kaolla completely refused to venture anywhere but her own room. She was the kind of girl that was always overjoyed and excited, so it was somewhat natural for her to conceal this sadness. She never wanted to see anyone due to the state she was in.

Naru.

Everyone expected her to be absolutely livid. Uncontrollable. Crazy. A ticking time bomb fuelled with a thousand emotions.

She was none of those things.

Naru was a lifeless shell, her eyes vacant… empty. Kitsune thought she knew her best friend well, but this was something even the fox found difficult to decipher.

…

Their patience was soon rewarded when the youngest girl served a number of plates filled with an assortment of food for the morning. Even though she was completely heart broken, Shinobu still insisted she would do all the cooking. It was obvious from the tear stains and red cheeks that Shinobu had a very hard nights sleep.

Unfortunately for her, this was only going to get worse. She prepared the same number of plates, expecting the manager to arrive soon, just like the good old days. Realising this mistake, Shinobu dropped the plate on the table and ran straight back to her room. Kitsune followed her in pursuit as she tried to reason with the emotional, timid girl, leaving Naru and Motoko to a very silent meal.

…

…

…

…

…

…

Time passed on.

Being alone on an island restricted Keitaro to the many pleasures of life. Not that he had many pleasures to begin with, but there were short lived moments that he repeated in his mind over and over. He remembered one time when he bought Naru a petit, silver watch. A small gift to show his appreciation for helping him study. Seeing Naru happy after she received this gift. It was a smile that Keitaro would never forget.

Instinctively, he drew a happy face on the sand with his finger.

…

Once again the sky grew darker. That day, all Keitaro spent his time on was examining the surroundings of the island (which didn't take too long) and salvaging a collection of coconuts. The latter took a tremendous amount of energy since the palm trees stood vastly high.

He looked into the sky… watching the stars… one of his few sources of escapism. His eye took on a fascinated look as he watched the stars form an outline of a girl. It looked like the side of Shinobu's face, right from those innocent eyes down to the shy smile. Maybe the world was playing tricks on Keitaro's mind, but whatever the reason, it seemed that the frail girl appeared right from the darkness.

A gentle downpour started as the dark clouds slowly shrouded her glittery face.

Feeling downcast himself, Keitaro retreated back to the stony hideout, where he waited for the rain to subside.

"_Shinobu… … please don't cry…"_

…

…

…

…

…

…

The residents spent their entire day in their respective rooms, only coming out for meal time or to use the bathroom. In other words, they only ventured from their room when it was absolutely necessary. Motoko was the exception, since her rituals were based around outside training and meditating. Her feelings made it very difficult for her to perform as fluently as she wanted to. It was like gravity itself weighed whenever she moved or used her blade in various styles.

…

…

Darkness arrived and the residents retired to their rooms once again, without as much as a whisper. Everyone was still surprised at Naru's reactions, or lack thereof. Since the news regarding the loss of the manager, Naru shed not a single tear. It was not like she refused to cry… she just looked… soulless.

…

…

Tiny footsteps were quietly heard as they made their way to the bathroom. Shinobu quickly locked the door behind her, breathing in and out in a very rapid manner. She looked at the mirror above the sink, watching her own reflection cry endless streams of tears. Still crying, she turned the bath taps on, the water quickly filling its empty base. From the mirror shelf, her hands scurried around to grasp hold of the silver nail scissors. Trembling all over, Shinobu closed her eyes, releasing more tears… wanting to make the pain fade away.

…

…

Motoko's eyes shot wide open, whilst Kaolla still hugging the side of her. The swordswoman gently rolled the foreign girl to her back, and departed silently, wondering where her ki would lead her. Never one to neglect her senses, Motoko accelerated her speed as she made her way upstairs and into the locked door of the bathroom. With driven force, she wasted no time in slamming the door open, using a portion of her talent to break the hinges.

Motoko nearly choked at the scene. Clothes were scattered all over the floor. The bath was overflowing with water… containing a faint trace of red.

Motoko turned off the taps in an instant and pulled Shinobu out of the freezing waters, making the poor timid girl gasp out loud, shaking like a leaf. Fortunately the wound on her left arm wasn't as serious as expected, but the fact that someone so innocent and caring would go through with this…

Other than tend to her wounds, there was little Motoko could do to prevent Shinobu from crying. She cradled her body, trying to soothe her with gentle words.

Shinobu couldn't hold it in any longer. Her heart exploded, and her thoughts now became screams of agony. "I LOVE YOU SEMPAI. DON'T LEAVE ME. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. I MISS YOU… I… I miss you… … please… …please… … please don't leave me…"

_**To be Continued…**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Keitaro could not sleep that night.

The rain was only a light drizzle, yet for him, felt like a torrential downpour.

Although the wind was just a gentle breeze, it sent freezing chills down his spine.

Tears flowed through his cheeks, and yet… he never felt like crying.

Keitaro sunk to his knees, experiencing immense despair and confusion. The remains of his ragged clothing did nothing to repel the elements surrounding him.

"_SEMPAI…"_

On his knees, Keitaro's head shot upwards, believing the timid girl was actually calling out to him. Could he feel the same pain Shinobu was going through right now?

Ignoring the numbness spreading throughout his body, Keitaro ran into the damp sand, calling out to the still present stars. "Shinobu-chan! I miss you… I know you must miss me too. I… I don't know why you miss me… I mean… all I ever did was get in your way…"

Keitaro gasped with relief. Whether it was purely by coincidence, he somehow managed to retain a portion of his normal composure.

"…Shinobu-chan… you have the most wonderful people around you… they really care about you. I'm sorry I can't see you… but… well… life works in weird and mysterious ways. I mean I never expected to be working in an all girls dormitory… (sigh) sorry… I'm rambling on aren't I? Anyway… please be strong. Be strong Shinobu-chan…"

At that moment the elements faded away, replaced by complete stillness. Before the dark clouds departed, a final raindrop fell gracefully on his face.

The air was still breezy, but Keitaro felt a slight warmth radiate inside him.

His anguish had subsided… for the time being.

…

Returning to the cave, Keitaro prepared to sleep on a rather crude, makeshift bed, which he used an assortment of old rags, leaves and anything else that provided the most primitive of comforts. Like a cat, he curled himself into a ball… slowly but surely drifting back to sleep.

"Good night everyone…" Keitaro whispered. "… and please… Shinobu-chan… don't cry… you must be brave… please… for me… for the others… for yourself…"

…

…

…

…

…

"_I… I will try sempai… it hurts so much… but I will try… for you… … good night sempai… … I… I love you…"_

…

…

…

…

The rest of the night proved very relaxing.

The sweet innocent voice, now drifting away, was a sure sign that Shinobu managed to salvage some rest of her own.

…

…

Feeling drowsy, Keitaro woke up with a mighty yawn, his eyes squinting at the sunlight which pierced through the small gaps in the cave. Without a doubt, this was Keitaro's highlight of his new, reformed life. The sun was certainly a welcome sight when it shone into the windows of Hinata-Sou, but alone on this island… it was like the sun was personally greeting the ronin, enveloping him with an incredible warmth.

Keitaro clutched his stomach tightly as it emitted a low, rumbling sound. This was the result of him spending too much time hungrily devouring many coconuts, which were now all cracked and empty against one of the palm trees. Although the fluid was indeed… questionable to drink, they were plentiful in numbers, and the innards of the shells provided some solid nourishment as well. Unfortunately Keitaro had one too many, so he rushed insanely to relief himself by the sea.

A massive grey trout leapt into the sky, though the fish was terribly unlucky with its timing. The moment it emerged from the sea, the waves retreated rather suddenly, leaving the poor creature stranded on the damp sands on the shore, and nearly touching the ronin's own feet! Of course Keitaro snatched the meal before it made any fast movements. The fish was the size between the ronin's wrist to his elbow, and it was wide enough to provide him with a very sumptuous meal.

He simply couldn't believe his own luck.

…

…

The sounds of petit flames crackling was the result of Keitaro's first attempt of creating a fire, using a clumsy combination of dry leaves and dead wood. His hands were filled with numerous shades of black and red, sure signs of his desperation to get the fire started. Rubbing two sticks together to produce the desired reaction really was a task made difficult for him… but eventually he succeeded, leaping in surprise as he did so.

Unfortunately the heat and smoke only lasted a few minutes before disappearing into the sky. His fish, now pierced with a long stick, was partially burnt and mostly raw, giving him the suggestion that he really needed to hone in on his survival cooking skills. Still, the food was edible enough to satisfy his stomach for many hours to come.

With the bones cast to one side, Keitaro found himself relaxing in the centre of the sand, looking high above the clouds which nearly covered the pale blue sky. His eyes focused on a particular grey segment that seemed to depart from the others. It almost looked like a face, with two triangular ears poking out at the top.

Before Keitaro could decipher this unusual message, an angry howl from the sky forced him to leap backwards, obviously startled from the sudden sound. His relaxation had came to an abrupt halt.

It seemed like another, close to his heart, was in dire need of help.

…

…

…

…

…

…

She grasped the warm bottle like it was her last thread of life.

Her hand… trembling… shaking as she downed the sickly sweet contents.

By her bedside were at least half a dozen bottles, some with still minor excess of the alcoholic fluid. The kind of drink she accustomed herself with all these years.

The sake seeped through her clumsy lips as she swallowed the next drink, almost in one go. Finishing, she felt the need to crush the empty bottle with her ever tightening grip, but in the end she was content with just realising her hand, causing the base of the container of crack as it hit the floor.

Kitsune was in a very sorry state. Her preferred positioning for the rest of the evening was lounging on her bed, almost as though she didn't want to live anymore. Her thoughts on Shinobu and her startling act last night forced the fox into a world of thought. She knew Shinobu had a major crush on her sempai, but to have this much emotion to hurt herself just showed how much the manager was dearly missed.

"_Things… things were really… good when he was here…" _She admitted, struggling with her intellect.

To what felt like a titanic struggle, Kitsune managed to sit upright on her mattress. She had this gut feeling everyone would fall in love with Keitaro at some stage. He wasn't strong, nor was he described as 'eye candy' to the opposite sex… yet there was a certain spark about him that seemed to influence the girls in a positive way, although Motoko and Naru always made failed attempts to conceal this influence. Even Kitsune admitted to herself that she enjoyed the company of him. Possibly more so than anyone who entered her life.

A dark thought began to cloud over her.

Her dreary state… slowly turned into bitter jealously.

Naru. Her best friend.

All those beatings she dealt to him. At one stage Kitsune thought it was nothing but light humour, but as she dwelled on this thought, a new opinion was created…

After Keitaro's sudden departure… Naru reacted in a way that Kitsune, or indeed everyone else found difficult to comprehend. She was completely unapproachable.

"_I put aside my own feelings… for her. Even though I… I liked him… I simply cast aside my love for my best friend. Now… now he's gone… disappeared."_

Her anger rose to its very highest, her face a dark colour of crimson. She was obviously depressed from Keitaro's death, but was made even more upset due to Naru's lack of emotion. No tears. No regrets. Nothing.

Kitsune grasped her hands on the sides of her head. She was overwhelmed with hatred, wanting the need to just let it all out in the open.

…

…

Haruka's room was filled with a faint smell of smoke, surrounded by dust and many cobwebs. Since she spent most of her day working long hours at the teashop, she had little time to clean up her own place. It was an interesting, if haunting change of scenery compared to the rest of Hinata-Sou.

She was accompanied by the youngest girls Shinobu and Kaolla, the group of three sitting on her bed. Shinobu shared Haruka's interest as the two of them were looking at a large photo album which focused purely on Keitaro's life, right from the very beginning when he took his first baby steps. It was an emotional roller coaster ride for Haruka, but she managed to keep her strong composure this time.

Shinobu smiled sadly at the photos progressing Keitaro's timeline, and was especially interested at the ones where the manager was the same age as her, wearing his school uniform, and still with that scruffy black hair of his. She always known Keitaro for being a handsome, kind hearted young man, but that certain picture made him look completely adorable. She briefly wondered if she could see this young Keitaro face to face in real life. In fact, the very photo made Shinobu fall in love with him even more. Though she had tears in her eyes, looking into her sempai's past life seemed to make her pain more bearable.

Unfortunately, Kaolla lacked any kind of motivation, and understandably so. To have, who she once described as her own brother, now stripped from her life just a couple of days ago. Her face paid no attention to anything but the bland carpet on the floor. Very occasionally her eyes would shift slightly in Haruka's direction, but deep down she just wanted to be left alone.

Haruka turned to the next page, and she sighed emotionally at the blank white sheet that followed. That was it. His short, colourful life. Come to an end.

"_Keitaro…"_

Haruka shut her eyes and carefully closed the album.

"…_why?"_

A loud, shattering sound outside caused the three to gasp in shock. Haruka, the quickest to react, ran to the source of the commotion, beckoning the girls to leave to their respective rooms. Shinobu simply nodded in reply.

"Su-chan…" Shinobu spoke softly, noticing her sorrowful friend. "C-come on Su-chan… we better go…"

On hearing Shinobu's nervous words, Kaolla's eyes lingered at the large plaster wrapped around the blunette's wrist. With tears streaming down her face, she just couldn't hide her feelings any longer. Crying loudly, the foreign girl ran headstrong towards her friend, wrapping herself tightly around Shinobu's waist… and kissing her fiercely on the lips. The impact was so great that it forced the timid girl against the wall.

Kaolla's words were very heartfelt and pleading.

"Please don't hurt yourself again… I-I already miss onii-chan… I don't want to miss Shinobu-chan too…"

It didn't take a second for Shinobu to copy the teary emotions of her friend. They tightly embraced each other, neither of them daring to let go.

Shinobu and Kaolla… truly were the best of friends.

…

…

…

The dark sky and chilling air together formed a rather unsettling atmosphere.

Barely able to stand on the roof, Kitsune snarled as she threw a second bottle to the ground, barely missing Motoko and Naru from below. She was wearing nothing more than a pair of blue shorts and a thin layered white shirt. She felt seemingly immune to the harsh weather. Though Naru's eyes were wide with fright, she still remained completely speechless, which only infuriated the resident fox to an alarming degree. With her usual fast reactions, Motoko pulled Naru out of harms way, just in time before a third bottle was capable of causing a very serious head injury.

"Kitsune. Get down this instant." Motoko demanded, undoubtedly annoyed at the older girl's actions.

The fox stopped for a moment before laughing loudly to herself, not her usual humour, but this time filled with sarcasm and spite. "Or what? What are you going to do Motoko? Cut me to ribbons just like you do with Keitaro every day?"

"At least I don't manipulate him to get whatever I want." The swordswoman shot back, losing more of her original composure.

Kitsune fell silent for a moment, deciding to bring her long time friend into the conversation. "And what about you Naru? What the hell is your problem? You haven't uttered a single word since we found out he's dead."

As Naru lowered her head, Motoko tried to force Kitsune back into the argument, and succeeded. "Leave Naru out of this. She doesn't concern you."

"Doesn't… concern me?" Kitsune retaliated, now screaming with utmost fury. "DOESN'T CONCERN ME? She's my fucking best friend, and I sacrificed my love just to try and make her happy. I… I love Keitaro… there I said it. I know it's too late but at least I have the balls to admit it."

Haruka opened the main door, making sure she, and only she was the one in charge. "Motoko. Naru. Please go to your rooms."

The two of them paused for a short moment before complying with her strong words.

Haruka's exchanged no words with the now less than angry alcoholic. She just stared at her with cold, emotionless eyes. This silent message was more than enough to cause Kitsune to snap out of her selfish act as she carefully climbed down to meet Haruka face to face. Though they were nearly the same height, Haruka's persistent gaze was like an ogre staring down a small child.

After a short pause Haruka sagged her shoulders and sighed, watching as Kitsune held back a couple of tears.

"I'm sorry." Kitsune whimpered. "It's just that… I see Naru… and… and…"

"I know." Haruka replied. "You just need to let her be. I know it's difficult, but in time Naru will realise that she needs _you _more than anyone else in the world. Trust me. She misses him as much as you do."

As she watched Kitsune smile with appreciation, Haruka folded her arms as she observed the broken glass scattered all over the pavement.

"Now. About this mess…"

_**To be Continued…**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

* * *

The rock he found was of an unusual shape; it was like a teardrop, round on one side and pointed on the other. He held and examined this rock for some time, before experimenting the sharp point on his wrist. Even the tiniest prick caused him to wince in pain; slashing his wrists and finishing his life was more difficult than he had imagined. He tried again, but was only successful in making a scratch. Perhaps he lacked the strength to drive the blade all the way down, or perhaps it was his subconsciousness, refusing him to accomplish such a blasphemes act. Whatever the reason, Keitaro Urashima lived to see another day. Another day of sand, sun and sorrow.

Every day had been like this, a hybrid of hope and hopelessness; emotions that should never alternate in short spaces of time, but they did. These combined emotions were enough to drive any man insane, and Keitaro was extremely close to becoming that man again.

With a burst of anger, Keitaro threw the blade at one of the palm trees. Amazingly, it did not ricochet; rather, it was pierced deeply into the bark, causing Keitaro great surprise. He thought to himself; was he really that strong, that agile, or was it just an act of luck? Keitaro cautiously walked towards the tree and pulled the blade out. Weapon in hand, Keitaro turned to face the vast ocean blue...

…

…

…

…

…

…

"Um... Motoko-sempai? It's us, remember?"

The swordswoman looked at the three girls. A mildly confused expression entered her face.

"We used to hang out together?"

Although she did admit, their appearances were familiar...

"Aw, come on! We had a fan-club and everything!"

Realisation found her at last. Yes, they were her friends, though Motoko had not seen them for a while now. They certainly looked very different, not to mention bright and colourful without their school uniforms.

"Kikuko-san, Sachiyo-san, Emi-san," Motoko replied. Now she remembered: Kikuko was the one with mid-length, dark brown hair, Sachiyo had long brown hair tied up in buns, and Emi had short trimmed beige hair, giving her a tomboyish appearance.

"Bing-bong!" the three girls chimed together, as though their Sempai had just answered a crucial question on a gameshow.

Motoko did not know how to feel. First, she was trying to cope with the loss of her manager, and now, she had to deal with what could be best described as an awkward reunion. Maybe... she should have stayed inside after all.

"Let's celebrate our get-together by going shopping!" Emi openly suggested, and the other two wasted no time in agreeing to her idea.

…

It was rare for Motoko to venture far on her own accord. Normally, she would journey back and forth from Hinata Sou to the Shinmei-ryu Sword School, always on account of her older sister. However, today was going to be an exception. She took the train journey to Tokyo to clear her mind, to escape, to temporarily blank out the tragedy that has caused everyone a great deal of anguish. Perhaps taking this trip has made her feel guilty, or even selfish, but it was certainly better than being cooped up around the dormitory all the time. Besides, it was Haruka that suggested this outing in the first place, and the older woman generously informed her that she will look after the tenants, despite her only day off in the week.

Unfortunately for Motoko, her 'path to escapism' lasted a mere ten minutes after departing from the train, for she was unceremoniously ambushed by the female fan-club known as Kikuko, Sachiyo and Emi. Still... they say misery loves company; maybe hanging around with her juniors would not be such a bad idea. Maybe it will take the edge away of her current depression.

…

Motoko was amazed beyond belief. Never had she been inside a place filled with so many materials and colours. Also, the ambience consisted of background music that sounded very unusual to her.

"What is this place?" she asked.

"Only, like, one of the most popular clothes shop in all of Tokyo!" Sachiyo answered; just visiting this place for herself and her friends was enough to kindle their excitement.

"Come on Motoko-sempai!" Emi told her senior, taking her by the hand, "You could use some dressing up yourself!"

From a fashionable point of view, Emi was right; Motoko did not stand out very well, although her wardrobe was different from her usual kendo outfit. The swordswoman wore a simple navy blue pullover, jeans that were as black as her hair, and trainers that were more suitable for distances, instead of showing off with. She was hardly dazzling, hardly 'Miss Tokyo of the Year', but she preferred it that way. She never liked having attention drawn to herself.

"Sorry but I'm not interested," she stated, her voice a little colder than she wanted it to be, "I'll be waiting outside."

The girls were slightly taken back from her blunt statement.

"Well... if that's what you want to do, I guess that's okay," Sachiyo quietly replied.

"We shall be about half an hour tops," Kikuko added.

Motoko nodded. "No problem."

…

Motoko folded her arms and waited outside the clothes store, her mind still struggling to cope with everything that has happened. It had been over a week since Keitaro and her friends were announced dead, and Motoko was far from riding the road to recovery. Feelings that had not been discovered before... chords that had never been struck until now... coping with the loss of someone close...

She looked up at the sky; a perfect blue, complimented well with the bright sun, radiating her with immense warmth. Unfortunately, even the weather made her feel... hollow and unwell; such a wonderful day, overshadowed with such a tragic memory...

"Yoohoo! We're done!" announced the tomboy of the trio.

The words of one Sachiyo forced Motoko to enter reality. So lost in thought, Motoko had forgotten she was accompanied by these girls in the first place.

Emi tilted her head in concern. "Are you alright?"

Motoko quickly replied with a nod. "Mm, just a little dizzy from the sun."

Kikuko's face brightened, hoping her smile will be infectious enough to those around her; she was two thirds successful. "Come on guys. Let's paint the city red!"

"Right on!" cheered the other two.

Motoko was uncertain how to react to their carefree personalities. It was true that they always behaved this way, but at this moment in time, it also felt... eerie... and uncomfortable.

A thought had suddenly struck her...

...were these girls... even aware of Keitaro's death?

…

…

...

Many hours have passed by, and the four girls had visited many attractive shops, stores and other locations. As expected of Tokyo, the city was populated, and filled with all sorts of happenings, a lifestyle that Motoko was not very acquainted with. The swordswoman tried her best to enjoy herself, but her likes and dislikes were overruled by the interests of her friends, not that she mattered; Motoko did not want to become a burden to them. Furthermore, Motoko could have pulled out of the group at any time, but something in the back of her mind told her otherwise. Perhaps she felt guilty, guilty for not seeing them in a while.

After existing out of a western-styled restaurant, the group of girls, full up and satisfied, decided to check out the arcade amusement centre. Motoko informed them that she will be waiting outside; she had enough stimulation as it is, without subjecting her eyes to the wonders of video gaming. Alone once more, she looked at the sky again, which had darkened considerably since her last sighting of it. The cool air should have been a dead giveaway, but Motoko failed to acknowledge the lack of temperature.

Most of the day had been a blur, as though the city of Tokyo was constantly spinning. The memories of Keitaro were beginning to take shape again. She had experienced some dark moments in her past, but nothing like this, this was something too overwhelming to overcome. Motoko shut her eyes and took three deep breaths. One... two... three... ...there. She opened them again, feeling a little more relaxed, a little more like herself.

Walking a few steps forward, Motoko spotted a newspaper stand nearby a convenience store. She picked up and examined one of the newspapers. Some days ago, these words were shown on every front page: 'Four Teenagers Killed in Tragic Air Accident'. Now it was about some Japanese Internet Idol, making her first debut. Leafing through some pages, Motoko found an article that peeked her curiosity. The article displayed a page of tributes, tributes for Keitaro, Haitani, Shirai and Kentaro. Motoko's eyes focused on a tribute to Keitaro... from his mother:

'He was a loving son, a caring brother, and an all round magnificent human being. He would never hurt a fly, never harm a soul, never do anything to offend anyone. He was perfect, my wonderful Keitaro was perfect in every way. I miss him horribly. I miss my wonderful son.'

A hand was placed on her shoulder; it was enough for Motoko to stop reading.

"Hey, we're back. Watcha' reading?" said Emi, the girl guilty of causing the surprise.

"Oh, well... it's..." Motoko began to say, but trailed off in mid-sentence.

"It's what?" Sachiyo pressured lightly.

Motoko put away the newspaper and took a deep breath. She _had_ to ask them; holding back any further would be agonising.

"You three know about... Keitaro, right?" she asked.

"Yeah?" answered Kikuko, a little too quickly for Motoko's liking, "He's the manager of Hinata Sou, isn't he?"

Motoko nodded. "Then that means... you must be fully aware of his death. Him and his friends... they died in an airship accident."

Emi nodded, "Mm... it was on the news."

"Yeah, I remember hearing it on the telly," Sachiyo added, shrugging.

Motoko could not believe what she was hearing. Their replies were nothing short of nonchalant. They showed no concern. No emotion. No feelings. Nothing.

"What's wrong... Motoko-sempai...?" asked Kikuko.

The raven haired girl looked at her friends in surprise. Their hair overshadowed their eyes. The edges of their lips slowly curved upwards, forming dark and sinister smiles.

"...isn't Keitaro's death... a good thing?"

Motoko gasped. The irises inside her eyes had shrunken considerably.

"Yeah... you must be relieved, right?" Emi added, "That bastard is out of your life for good! You can live your life however you want, without that filthy man pestering you, day in and day out!"

Sachiyo was next to state her opinion. "And who were those two friends of his? Haitani and Shirai? What a pair of idiots! Remember all those times they kept hitting on you, Motoko-sempai? Really pathetic. They deserved to die. I hope their deaths were long and painful..."

Kikuko made one small step closer to her senior.

"Motoko-sempai... do you know _why_ we associate ourselves with you...?" she asked, in a haunting tone of voice.

Motoko paused to think, but Kikuko interrupted before a reply was made.

"It is because we all have the same... affliction... we all have a strong hatred of the male gender. In fact, we have never told you this before, but it was thanks to man that our three lives have become... a living nightmare..."

Emi checked the time on her silver wristwatch; it was six o'clock.

"Woah, look at the time already!" she said, causing the three of them to revert back to her chirpy nature, "We should shoot off-"

"Nonsense!" Kikuko interrupted, feeling happy all of a sudden, "We have plenty of time to spare! Hey I know, let's bust out a few songs at the karaoke!"

"Well... alright!" said Emi, quick to be submissive.

Motoko found her right arm seized by Sachiyo.

"You will join us too, Motoko-sempai!" she beamed.

…

…

Before she could comprehend what was going on, Motoko found herself being taken inside a square-sized room with a couch, a round table and a karaoke machine. The air around her was stuffy, making her feel claustrophobic. She was in a trance, a daze. She did not know whether she was coming or going... and the music, cheering and singing did not help matters at all. It was driving her mad.

"Hey, Motoko-sempai! It's your turn next!" said one of the girls.

Motoko stood up... but her reason for doing so was not to join them in their merry moment of melodies.

"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom," she said, her voice monotonous.

Without waiting for a reply. Motoko left the room, leaving the three girls by themselves.

There was a short duration of silence until Kikuko broke the ice.

"That girl is starting to really piss me off," she seethed, eyes narrowing with rage.

"Kikuko..." Emi began to say, but her friend ignored her and continued talking.

"Can you not see it in her eyes Emi? She had feelings for that Keitaro person, the same guy that she hated no so long ago."

Sachiyo saw light in Kikuko's statement. "And she has grown weak because of him. A man has weakened her."

"Yeah... I guess... yeah... you're right," Emi realised.

Kikuko sighed, obviously irritated by the change of the person she once idolised. "I've had enough. Let's leave her and get out of here."

The other girls agreed. They wasting little time in leaving the building.

…

…

…

Her reflection was of a face which did not belong to her. It belonged to someone else; someone stricken with guilt, with concern, with fear. There was no sign of the stoic swordswoman anywhere; just a girl, lost in this big wide world. The mirror was taunting her.

She turned on the cold tap and smothered her face with the flowing, icy water. Given the situation she was in, it was incredibly welcoming.

"What on earth is wrong with me," she muttered to herself, "why am I behaving in such a way?"

With a lengthy intake of breath, Motoko finally decided to return to her friends, but only to say that she was going home.

…

Motoko opened the door and was greeted with silence; the room was empty. She tightened her lips. They had left her, and rightfully so. Motoko admitted, she was horrible company, despite her problems.

…

Motoko left the building. The cool night air combined with the water droplets remaining on her face sent shivers down her whole body.

She suddenly tensed up when she heard a commotion. Judging from its loudness, the commotion was not too far away from where she stood. Pushing her memories of today to one side, Motoko dashed towards the source of the sound.

She could not believe her eyes.

Three girls were laughing out loud, as they continued to viciously stomp into the back of their crouching victim; a crying boy who was the same age as they were. Nobody else was present, and if they were, they would likely flee from such a violent scenario.

"Stupid little shit," Kikuko sneered to the boy, "this will teach him to never hit on us again."

"Yeah, you tell 'em girl," said Emi, a cruel and satisfactory smile escaping her lips.

"Idiot male, they're all the same," sighed Sachiyo, kicking the boy's legs for good measure.

"Enough..."

Unknowing they had an audience, the three girls ceased their actions, and angrily turned around to face the one who dared challenge them. Upon sight of their former friend, their expressions transformed into wicked smiles.

"Well, well, well... if it isn't Motoko-sempai?" Kikuko taunted, cracking her knuckles, "So what are you now? Defender of the weak?"

Motoko shook her head sorrowfully. "This... this is enough... ...harming a defenceless man will not solve any of your problems..."

Kikuko began to laugh hysterically; her eyes were wide open and filled with tears.

"Heh heh... AHAHAHAHA! You know nothing about me! You know nothing about us! Maybe you are right! Harming this male scumbag may not solve anything... but it _does _make me feel a little better inside..."

"Let's take her down," uttered Sachiyo. The others agreed and braced themselves for combat.

They rushed towards Motoko, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks when they reached a close enough distance. Motoko did not have time to draw her sword. She was caught off-guard, and was amazed at their own ability to fight; they must have been training relentlessly to produce such results. She evaded most of the strikes, but a straight fist from Kikuko managed to make contact with her face. Motoko staggered backwards, but managed to retain her composure, for what it was worth.

"_I... I do not wish to fight them..."_

The three girls paused for a moment, delighted at their own superiority.

"Heh, looks like you were right in saying she was weaker," Emi commented to Sachiyo.

Kikuko licked her lips and surveyed her prey; if she could defeat Motoko here and now, then nobody, and especially no man would ever stand in her way ever again.

"I think I can handle her on my own," she said darkly, her body oozing with confidence, "Sachiyo, Emi, step aside."

Sachiyo and Emi took a few steps back, leaving Kikuko and Motoko in a one on one battle. Motoko felt some blood run down her nose, courtesy of the first strike made against her. The blood trickled down to her lips, and she unconsciously sampled its coppery taste.

"Come on Motoko-sempai..." Kikuko pleaded in a mocking fashion. "Don't you wish to fight me?"

Motoko did not make any evasive action this time.

A fist landed into her stomach. Motoko felt the pain... but she did not move, nor falter from her position.

"Sachiyo was right, you are a weak little kitten."

Another strike made contact with her shoulder. Again, Motoko refused to retaliate.

"Poor little kitty... poor... pathetic... little... kitty..."

Kikuko continued to fight, as numerous fists landed all over her opponent's body. Motoko absorbed everything that was dished out to her, but the pain was gradually accumulating with every hit she took.

Kikuko grinned before readying herself for the finishing blow. "What's the matter? Do you miss your worthless, dead boyfriend?"

…

…

A ball of cyclonic energy consumed her right hand; it would be her first... and final counter-attack.

…

…

The hand travelled at the speed of light, brushing past Kikuko's ear. Though the strike was a clear miss, the sheer magnitude of the blow forced the younger girl to collapse on her knees. If the blow had met her skull... she surely would have been killed instantly. Kikuko watched her whole life flash before her eyes. So caught up in despair, she failed to notice the increasingly wet patch on her tracksuit trousers. The fear was evidently shown from Sachiyo and Emi as well... but their fear was nowhere close compared to Kikuko. Kikuko was frightened shitless.

Motoko lowered her defences, realising the hostility from the three girls had long since extinguished. Still scared out of her wit, Kikuko nonetheless managed to find the strength to stand on her own two feet, refusing any aid Sachiyo and Emi offered her. There was no exchange of words this time; they took one last look at Motoko... and retreated.

Motoko pulled the injured boy up to his feet. Like Motoko, he was covered in bruises, but thankfully there was nothing life threatening. He bowed lowly in gratitude before running away; he had a hell of a story to tell his friends and family.

…

…

…

…

…

When she arrived back at Hinata Sou, Motoko explained what had happened to her; as expected, the rest of the tenants were shocked to hear such a story. Hearing the obvious growl escaping from Motoko's stomach, Shinobu hurried to the kitchen to prepare a light meal for her.

As she began to settle down, Motoko noticed the absence of one auburn haired girl. When asked regarding her whereabouts, Kitsune simply stated that she had an early night. Motoko made no further attempt to press the topic; everyone had their own way of grieving, herself included.

…

…

…

…

The clock inside the living room struck midnight. Everyone was already long asleep... with the exception of one.

Clad only in a yellow towel, Motoko sat by the Hinata Hot Springs and allowed the inviting warm waters to soak her feet and legs. Alone, the swordswoman had only her thoughts to accompany her. Today was unquestionably a disaster. What should have been a path to enlightenment, ended with more confusion, more complications... more chaos. She could have killed Kikuko, and would have, if she did not pull back at the last second. Every fibre of her being wanted to end her existence... but... she restrained herself.

She restrained herself.

She never restrained herself when Keitaro was around.

Despite the accidents, the misunderstandings, and the continuous pleas of forgiveness, Motoko refused to hold back. Keitaro was the scapegoat to her sword. All of her anger and frustrations were channelled towards him. Even when she first set eyes on that man, Motoko's first and foremost objective was to see him leave, see the back of him, and never see him ever again. She never gave him a chance.

Now he was gone, gone for good... and Motoko wanted him back in her life.

Her eyes faced southwards. The watery reflection showed the face of a man, a man with scruffy hair, rectangular glasses and a goofy grin; the three undeniable trademarks of Keitaro Urashima. Even in death... he still wore that smile, as though he had already forgiven what Motoko had done to him.

Why was he always like this, Motoko asked herself. Why did he beg for forgiveness whenever he made the tiniest of mistakes, and why was he always so forgiving whenever she made an extreme error of judgement? Why was he always like this? Why did he do so much, and wanted so little in return? It made no sense. It made no sense whatsoever. Why was he always like this? Why was he always like this? Why? Why? _Why_?

A teardrop splashed onto his face, rippling the water, and dispelling the reflection.

Another tear followed... and another... and another.

Motoko could not restrain herself any longer. She buried her hands into her face, and apologised to Keitaro, over and over.

…

…

…

…

…

…

Motoko's expression was filled with despair. Had she been crying? What was her reason for shedding so many tears?

Before he could examine her face further, a downpour of rain dispelled the ocean's reflection, reverting back to his own features once more.

Keitaro rose from his crouched position. In his right hand, he was carrying a crudely made spear, created with an assortment of wood and palm leaves. Attached on its tip was the sharp rock he found earlier today. It took him nearly forever to make this spear, but still it was far from perfect. Once made, Keitaro spent the rest of the day trying to catch fish with it. His efforts were unsuccessful. No matter how hard he tried, the fish retreated long before the spear had even landed.

Keitaro kept trying, and trying, until finally, his determination was overrun by fatigue. So exhausted, he could barely stand on his own two feet.

Defeated, he reluctantly staggered to his cave for sleep, vowing himself to try even harder during the next sunrise.

…

_**To be continued...**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

He would wake up and be ready by six o'clock in the morning. This gave him ample time to quietly perform all of his household and outdoor duties, before all the other tenants would rise and shine. The only one who was already up during this hour was Motoko; she began her weapon training at five, sometimes earlier. The two of them would occasionally exchange a brief greeting before getting on with their task at hand.

At eight o'clock, more of the tenants were awake and ready to face another day. Shinobu would kick start the morning off by preparing breakfast, and everyone would happily tuck into their delicious piping hot meals. As always, Kaolla Su would empty her plate long before anyone else had a chance. Kitsune would then arrive ten minutes later, with the mother of all hangovers etched all over her face. Shinobu would prepare her with a cup of coffee, the magical wake-me-up remedy; otherwise the older girl would probably spend the rest of the morning passed out on the table. Just another typical morning in the life of Hinata Sou.

When breakfast was over, he would then study for the Toudai entrance examinations, alongside his study partner, Naru Narusegawa. They would always study inside Naru's room, and they would always exchange notes and give each other quick tests, just to see how well they had improved and progressed. Truth be told, his intellect and concentration were slowly increasing with every passing day; his dream of reaching Toudai one step closer to being fulfilled. He would find the girl he had made a promise to all those years ago. He would propose to her and, in a few months time, they would become engaged. They would live happily ever after. A fairytale to end all fairytales.

At this stage, Naru would tap her mechanical pencil on top of his skull, dispelling his dream, and forcing him to return to his studying.

During the mid-afternoon he would have a quick lunch (like a simple sandwich), and then continue with his chores. Hinata Sou was never sparkly clean for very long. This was regularly due to the merry mishaps of the young foreigner, who would invent all sorts of gadgetry in order to test out her manager's 'immortality'. The mess these inventions created would normally vary between nightmarish and catastrophic, but he was always determined to repair and clean the place up, no matter how long the process took. Kaolla would then get reprimanded by one of the other tenants, and the day would finally continue, as if nothing had ever happened.

Of course, no afternoon would be complete without a misunderstanding or two, and the said misunderstanding would always involve himself and one of the more 'bustier' females of the house. A trip, a tumble, an accident, and he would always find a way to crash into her, somehow possessing the unconscious momentum of pulling down her top in the process. As always, he was violently propelled into the sky, courtesy of a massive punch, or a ki-wave of death; the price of him witnessing feminine exposure.

...

Everyone gathered around the table again when the time was six o'clock, sometimes it would be a little later, but nobody would ever complain. Shinobu always outdid herself during dinner time. Whether it was ramen, curry, sashimi or anything else, the little chef would always produce the said meal with flawless results. He would always describe her food as 'heaven with every mouthful', and it was comments like these that always made the young girl blush from ear to ear.

Shortly after dinner, the tenants would spend most of the night relaxing in the Hinata Hot Springs, leaving the manager some much needed time to himself. He would polish off the day by doing some solo studying, or by writing something down on his diary, usually reminders and tasks that needed to be finished for tomorrow.

It would be between ten and eleven o'clock when he would start to feel drowsy. He placed his books and stationary to one side of his desk, and after changing into his pajamas, brushing his teeth and going to bed, sleep would quickly consume him.

He would perform this routine of work virtually every day, weekends included. His body clock had adapted to living such a speedy, hectic, crazy and wonderful lifestyle... and he would have it no other way.

…

…

This lifestyle was now a faraway memory.

He would never see any of the girls ever again.

He would never see anyone ever again.

…

...

Keitaro awoke from his slumber, his mind a haze and his stomach empty. After a terrific yawn, he left the mouth of the cave and looked at the clear blue sky, eyes squinting from the hot sun. The air was filled with humidity, and was thick enough to make anyone feel lethargic. The only sound that entered his ears were the slow ocean waves, otherwise, it was deathly silent.

Keitaro allowed his vision to soak in all of his familiar surroundings; the palm trees, the weathered cave, the fallen, broken coconuts... and the large wooden crate, lying docile by the harmless ocean shore...

...

...he widely opened his eyes, his drowsy state negated in an instant.

His cautious walking abruptly changed into a fully blown sprint. The crate was too heavy to lift up, which made Keitaro wonder how such a weight travelled here in the first place; surely something of this bulk would sink to the very depths of the ocean...

Keitaro had to expend most of his energy just to drag the crate backwards. He paused for breath when he managed to position it near the centre of the island, the hot climate only serving to amplify his exhaustion. Wiping some sweat from his forehead, Keitaro crouched down and fully examined his latest discovery.

The crate was three-quarters his height and almost as wide. It was wrapped around with thick, heavy steel chains, and locked tightly with a single padlock. Many ideas began to swim inside his head, as he wondered what possibilities lied inside. Food. Tins of meat and fish. Should such a collection of prizes exist within this crate... then Keitaro would never have to worry about starving for an extremely long time. If he was successful in rationalising each tin... he could survive for at least a couple of months. His mouth began to water. Heavens above, it _had _to be food. Please be food, he prayed.

Unfortunately, without the aid of the key, Keitaro realised the only way he was going to pry open the blasted thing was by strenuous force...

…

…

…

…

…

…

"...yes, of course... ...I'll be seeing you soon then... ...okay... take care."

Haruka put the phone down and pinched the bridge of her nose. For days she had mentally prepared herself for the inevitable conversation... but that still did not make matters any less awkward. She reached into her jean pockets and withdrew a packet of cigarettes, thanking the merciful heavens that there were still a couple remaining inside.

…

…

Haruka closed the tea shop and made her short journey towards Hinata Sou. She used to feel some satisfaction in completing a full days work; briefly seeing her nephew and the tenants after her job was like a reward in itself. Without Keitaro though... it all felt the same, during work and after work; Haruka felt tired and dejected.

She walked past the hot springs, where the girls used to frequently inhabit. Now it was used by no one. It was such a glorious evening as well. Such a waste.

A rake scraping against the ground caught Haruka's attention; it was used to guide the dead leaves and twigs that had accumulated over the past week around the hot springs. With concern, Haruka watched on. The leaves and twigs were being combined together into one large pile, and the pile was later filled into an empty plastic sack.

Naru tied up the sack and placed it alongside another previously filled one, not paying attention to the sweat dripping off her face and her glasses.

Haruka... was not surprised at seeing Naru take over the managerial duties from her nephew... rather, it was Naru's appearance that caused her great disturbance, great worry. She immediately recognised the wardrobe Naru was wearing... for they consisted of clothes that did not belong to her. Her usual, summery top was replaced with an indigo pullover, worn over a daffodil coloured shirt. Her knee-length skirt was replaced with a white pair of casual trousers. Her sandals were replaced with shoes that were slightly larger than her feet, but she wore them all the same.

Everything. Everything she wore belonged to Haruka's deceased nephew.

Haruka suppressed the rising urge to scream, repelled the blazing inner fireworks that threatened to consume her with rage. Were it not for her position, and were it not for the fact that Haruka knew this girl for so long, the situation would have been far worse; there was no telling what Haruka would have done to her. No... she was better than that. Haruka would not subject herself to such impure emotions.

For now, Haruka swallowed her anger, and converted it into a ghost of a sigh.

"Hey Naru, it's gone six o'clock. It will be dinner soon," she told her.

Naru ceased her work. She gradually lifted her face up to see Haruka's masked expression. Beneath Naru's circular glasses lied emotionless, mahogany eyes. Naru, herself, was lifeless. All of her happiness, her despair and every single emotion in between... it was all locked away... locked away inside an uncharted world.

"Okay... Haruka-obasan," Naru answered, her voice... barely audible.

…

…

…

The tenants and Haruka were gathered around the table, and an uncomfortable silence loomed over them, just like every other day. It was not often that Haruka joined the girls for dinner, but for some reason, she felt the need for company this time. Being by herself in the tea shop really did make her feel... alone. Yes, it made a refreshing change to be with her surrogate family... and she wished she had done this sort of thing more frequently, especially with her nephew.

Steaming hot chicken ramen occupied the plate that was given to Haruka, as well as everybody else. Haruka smiled a weak smile; chicken ramen was amongst Keitaro's top ten of favourite meals. She felt privileged... no, humbled to receive such a delicious meal from Shinobu.

"I... Itadakimasu!" Shinobu said suddenly, closing her eyes and smiling. Saying that single word stirred all sorts of emotions inside of her.

"Itadakimasu," the others replied quietly.

Between small mouthfuls of food, Haruka subconsciously surveyed the girls, who were all solemnly eating their meals. With time, Shinobu and Kaolla were gradually showing more bravery in coping with the sudden loss of their manager. They both had their moments of anxiety, true, but they relied on each others strength to see it through to each and every day. Kaolla appeared a lot more maturer as well, Haruka noted, though she was fully aware of the reason why. Such amazing young girls, Haruka thought to herself.

The loss of Keitaro was a true testament to Motoko's inner strength. When Haruka was absent, Motoko would usually take the role of looking after the tenants, a task easier said than accomplished. She was, more often than not, successful, but there were one or two times where everything got out of hand, mostly thanks to Kitsune and her out of control drinking habits. Haruka concentrated on Motoko's features. She could almost laugh, were it not for the given situation. Once Keitaro was gone, Motoko showed more... humanity. She developed feelings, feelings that were once unknown to her, alien to her. Motoko was attaining true strength. Not within her sword. Within her heart.

Kitsune was the unsettling hybrid of anger and sadness, and the drinking did not aid matters at all. Alcohol had always been her support and comfort, but now she was drinking a lot more, and the accumulated consumption of liquids were slowly damaging her health. Haruka knew that Naru was the cause of Kitsune's conflicted personality; Keitaro was gone, and Kitsune had more or less lost her best friend as well. Two daggers pierced deep inside her.

Haruka observed the final girl on the table, or rather, she observed the mindless shell who replaced her. Seeing Naru dressed up in Keitaro's clothing... it was a sight only acceptable for the sightless. Haruka shook her head grimly; everyone was worried about Naru, afraid she would be forever lost in the darkness.

Haruka took another mouthful of food; it was delicious, but she no longer acknowledged the taste. When depressed, everything seemed to have a bland flavour. Please, do not break down, Haruka thought to herself, do not break down in front of them. She resisted by taking a deep breath... something then triggered at the back of her mind. The phone call earlier; she had nearly forgotten about that. She had to tell everyone...

...after dinner... she would tell everyone.

…

…

…

…

…

…

"Itadakimasu," Keitaro muttered sarcastically.

Much effort, much determination and much patience was required... but it was satisfaction personified when he made a mark, a crack, and at last a hole on top of the crate... finally bursting its bulky defence wide open.

That satisfaction was abruptly vanished, however, when Keitaro saw what was inside.

Board games; Othello, Chess, Checkers, Go... board games. Nothing to eat, nothing to help him survive... nothing to even aid him in the slightest way. After acknowledging the contents inside, Keitaro laughed in absolute disbelief. He could not believe it. He thought fate had thrown him a bone, but what a worthless bone it was. Fate was mocking him.

Inside the cave, a game of Chess was laid out; all of the pieces were aligned atop of the chequered board, each miniature warrior, patiently waiting to do battle. Keitaro sat cross-legged and stared at the chessboard for some time. He picked up a white pawn, three squares from the left, and placed the piece two squares forward. He folded his arms and waited for his invisible opponent to make a move. As expected... nothing happened. Keitaro buried his hands into his face and let out a gut wrenching moan.

"What the hell am I doing?" he said, "here am I trapped on a desert island... playing chess all by myself. I really am a loser. Please... just kill me now... please..."

Keitaro smeared his hands away from his face and looked at the chequered board once more.

A black pawn had moved two squares towards him, mirroring his own move.

"Honestly! Are you always this slow?"

He looked straight ahead. A young girl was staring at him with puffed out cheeks and impatient eyes, mimicking Keitaro's own seating arrangement. Her eyes were coloured mahogany, and her hair was short and auburn. She wore casual and colourful clothing; a pink t-shirt, blue shorts and sandals. Yes, he remembered this girl... vaguely. She was the one playing sandcastles with him... but that was only a dream, surely; a fragment of his own imagination.

"You again," he replied, with a lack of anything insightful to say. Truth be told, Keitaro was more surprised at his own calmness, instead of being afraid of the little girl appearing before his very eyes. He was amazed that he was unaffected by images or hallucinations; perhaps... he finally accepted he was losing his mind.

"Me again!" the girl affirmed, her face brightening up all of a sudden, "This is the third time we met, correct?"

"The third time?" Keitaro repeated, knitting his brows together.

"Mm!" she nodded, "Now come on! Make your move already!"

Whether from concentration of the game, or trying to comprehend the situation, Keitaro frowned deeply. Shrugging, he reached for another pawn and moved it one square forward. The little girl scrunched up her face in thought, an expression which only served her to look even more adorable, if that were possible. Her face changed to one of joy when she thought of a killer move, one that was sure to catch her opponent unaware.

"There! Take that!"

Keitaro looked at the move played by his opponent. Then he looked at his opponent.

"That's an illegal move," Keitaro stated.

"No it's not!" the girl huffed, "Pawns are allowed to take other pieces diagonally!"

Keitaro deflated his shoulders before explaining. "They can only take like that when a piece is diagonally in front of them."

The girl tilted her head a little to the left, wide eyed and no longer frustrated. "Really?"

Keitaro nodded. "Yeah."

Sighing, the girl backtracked her move and tried to think of a new one. She picked up a taller piece this time, and placed it around the centre of the chessboard. A sweat-drop appeared at the back of Keitaro's head.

"Um... the queen cannot fly."

The girl crossed her arms and made a face. Chess had so many rules to remember.

…

…

She continued playing, despite her lack of skill, and lack of knowledge of the game. After a short while though, she managed to understand some of the basics, thanks to Keitaro's tutoring and patience.

"Checkmate," Keitaro announced, a tiny smile escaping his lips.

The girl pouted. "Aw! That was mean! You're a big meanie!"

Keitaro rubbed the back of his head, and, for the first time in ages, laughed naturally. Maybe he did play a little on the aggressive side, which was shown evidently by the mass of white pieces he still had left on the board. "Ahaha... sorry, sorry."

As he cleared the chessboard and its pieces away, the young girl covered her mouth to suppress a tiny yawn. She then rose to her feet and ironed out all the creases in her clothes.

"Thank you for the game, Kei-kun!" she said, ending her appreciation with a bow.

The girl was about to scamper out of the cave, but ceased immediately when she heard the panicked voice rising within Keitaro's throat.

"Wait!"

Even if she was just an image, even if she was just an illusion, Keitaro had a feeling she would leave him once and for all; disappear... and never be seen again.

"Sorry Kei-kun, I have to go now..."

The girl turned to face Keitaro and addressed him with a final smile.

"...but if you ever need me in the distant future, just call my name three times and I will be at your side!"

Three times, Keitaro murmured to himself; the thought of chanting her name thrice made him wander if he was a character in a Magical Girl Anime. A jolt of electricity suddenly entered his head. Her name... could she the same girl he met... when he was five? The destined promise girl... no, she couldn't be... could she...? A name... he needed her name...

"What's your name?" he asked.

The girl placed a forefinger on her lips, as if she were trying to remember her own identity herself.

"Um... what was my name again...?"

She lightly pounded a fist into her hand.

"Ah, that's right! My name is Promise Girl!"

Before Keitaro could reply, or make any kind of action, the girl turned towards the cave's exit and dashed away. It looked like she was going to swim into the ocean, but disappeared when her scampering feet touched the shore. Keitaro was once again by himself; the air around him heavily filled with questions.

…

…

…

…

…

…

Kaolla Su and Shinobu had elected themselves to wash up all the plates and cutlery; a job that was easy enough by the blunette alone, but together, they completed the task in no time at all. Smiling warmly at each other, the two girls hurried back to the spotless table, where Haruka and the others were all waiting, still seated.

Haruka stole a glance towards Kaolla and Shinobu, silently thanking them with a quick nod. She then took a deep breath and rose from her chair. She had everyone's undivided attention.

"Sorry to keep you all here a little longer, but I have a quick announcement to make. I spoke to Hinata on the phone earlier... and she will be visiting us this Sunday."

"Obaachan?" said Kaolla, her eyes lighting up a little.

Just the mention of Hinata lifted the overall mood of the room, albeit slightly; it had been ages since any of them had last seen her. A couple of years, at least.

"How... was she?" Kitsune asked.

Haruka saw that Kitsune regretted herself after asking the question; she knew the girl did not mean any harm.

"Very depressed." she answered, the grim and bitter truth, "She is a very strong woman, but I feel she needs our support as much as we need hers."

Haruka gently bit her lower lip, and it was Kitsune and Motoko who noticed this minor but definite change in her attitude.

"Haruka-san, what is wrong?" Motoko said with concern.

There was an awkward pause of silence as Haruka contemplated what to say next. She was certain her second announcement would arise more complications, as well as further questioning.

"There is someone else who will be greeting us as well... ...her name is Kanako... ...and she... she is Keitaro's stepsister."

...

_**To be continued...**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

* * *

The cruise ship sailed effortlessly across the sparkling sea; the wind and the waves were the only sounds audible. Perched atop the nose of the ship was a small lady in her mid-eighties. She was dressed in beige and indigo coloured robes, whilst simple white sandals occupied her feet. Both of her palms were resting onto her short, sturdy wooden stick. She was unmoving and unwavering. Even the opposing gales failed to phase her, as though she was lost in deep concentration.

Standing to the right of the old lady was a dark-haired girl, nearly sixteen years of age. Her wardrobe consisted of an elaborate, gothic black dress. As a manner of description, virtually everything she wore was black, from her fancy circular-rimmed hat, masking the top half of her facial features, all the way down to her polished petit shoes, each one matched with a tiny red bow. Strapped across her left shoulder was a small, violet coloured handbag.

The third party of the group was a black cat with unusually large ears. The cat was resting on the teenager's right shoulder, and would occasionally cry a tiny, protesting meow; she did not take a liking to the cool climate emitting from the late-morning sky.

"Patience, Kuro-chan," the girl whispered to the animal, "our journey will be over soon."

…

…

…

…

An undisturbed warm air filled her room. All was peaceful. All was soothing. Everything was just the way she wanted it to be.

An exercise book was displayed on the centre of the kotatsu. Most of its pages were ink-filled with equations, fractions and other mathematical problems. With a ballpoint pen, she wrote down a possible solution alongside one of the questions. She accessed the answer and shook her head sadly, scribbling it out in a matter of seconds.

"No dummy, that's not how you do it," she monotonously said to herself, eyes unwavering from the book, "you forgot to carry out the 'x' and the nine."

She looked at the problem again, her eyes narrowing fiercely this time. The 'x'. The nine. Of course! It was as clear as day! She wrote down the answer underneath her previous mistake, knowing with satisfaction that it was the correct one.

"Well done Keitaro," she praised, "keep this up and you will have no trouble acing the exams."

Occupied with her studying, Naru failed to notice Shinobu entering the room; Shinobu had to cough politely to receive her attention. Naru barely glanced from her studying, her delusional happiness replaced with dark impatience. The small teenager was holding a plate containing some buttered toast and assorted fried vegetables.

"Um, you never came down for breakfast... so I decided to bring some food up... and see how you were..."

Without a word of thanks, or any kind of reply, Naru resumed her studying. She heard Shinobu gently placing the plate on the leftmost side of the kotatsu. She then heard her footsteps as the young girl left the room, slowly closing the door behind her.

Naru smiled. At last, she and Keitaro were alone once more.

The way it should be.

The way it will be.

Each and every day.

…

"How is she?" Kitsune asked, though the lack of hope in her voice suggested she already knew the answer.

Upon hearing the question, Shinobu hung her head sorrowfully; there was no point masking her depression every time she laid eyes on Naru. Seeing her wear Keitaro's clothing was especially draining for the poor girl.

"The same," she quietly replied; brief, sad and honest.

Kitsune sighed as the young teenager sat on a vacant chair next to Kaolla Su. With every passing day, a segment of Naru would disappear. Recently, she had gotten worse, if that were possible. Naru scarcely acknowledged anyone, only finding truth and comfort in an illusion that is Keitaro Urashima; a visage which she believed existed close to her. She would rarely ever eat her meals. She would seldom leave her own room. Her health and sanity were deteriorating rapidly.

Long since after finishing their breakfast, the four girls still lingered around the living room table. It was traumatising enough acknowledging the death of Keitaro, and Naru's current state of mind did not help matters at all, but the thought of Keitaro's stepsister entering the house served as an additional weight to their already occupied minds. Try as they might, they could not conceal their concern. Until only a few days ago, nobody knew this Kanako girl even existed. The name was never uttered from Keitaro's lips, nor was she ever mentioned by Haruka. It felt as though the name Kanako was regarded as a taboo. Why was this girl shrouded in such secrecy?

Regardless of their thoughts, it was only a matter of time before this girl would grace them with her presence. Perhaps upon her arrival, all of the questions and concerns will be finally unravelled.

…

…

Under normal circumstances, the Hinata Tea Shop on Sundays would be open from nine till noon. Even on a Sunday, business was still business for the cigarette smoking Urashima. This time, however, she would close the place for one day only. She knew she could not juggle her job and her current mentality at the same time.

As time grew closer to the deadline, Haruka disposed another cigarette on the silver ashtray, her twentieth since she got out of bed. She remained seated behind a small, circular wooden table, normally reserved for one or two customers. The smoke began to swim inside her head. Soon, she would join the tenants inside the dormitory, to tidy up some things and make sure everyone is okay. Right now however, she needed just another ten or fifteen minutes, if only to gather her thoughts and composure.

"Not long now," she said softly.

…

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…

…

…

…

"Promise Girl... Promise Girl... ...Promise Girl..."

He chanted those words over and over, but to no avail. He had been chanting those words for hours, days, but still she did not come to his aid. He laid there on the sand, the dead centre of the island, unmoving, uncaring... on the brink of becoming delirious. He wanted to return home. He did not want to return home. He wanted to see the girls, but it was likely the girls did not want to see him. He wanted their love. No. He did not deserve their love. A pathetic creature such as he was incapable of deserving love. Maybe he should just die. Disappear. Be forgotten.

He shook his head strongly, trying desperately to deny the negativity festering inside him. His whole body came to life. His was thrashing wildly, as though trying to throw away the demons of doubt who were swirling around his existence.

"Promise... P-Promise..."

His upper body violently arched forwards. He shouted at the top of his lungs this time, his words clear and full of vigour.

"PROMISE GIRL! PROMISE GIRL! PROMISE GIRL!"

His voice travelled into the endless sky.

From a short distance above, a coconut dropped onto his stomach. More startled than hurt, Keitaro looked up and locked eyes with the spirit of the little girl.

"Breakfast is ready!" she announced in a chirping voice, tilting her head slightly, and greeting the ronin with an eyesmile.

Keitaro sat up properly and tended to the sore spot on his stomach; he nearly forgot how heavy those shelled spheres really were.

"You sure took your time," he complained, though he was only concealing his real delight in seeing her again.

The girl who named herself Promise was too far away to hear Keitaro's remark; she was busy carrying the coconut over to a nearby palm tree. With five successful swings, Promise cracked the fruit against the bark, splitting it into two halves. She scampered back to where Keitaro was sitting and offered him the biggest piece. Keitaro accepted the gift with a weary smile. He recalled the first time sampling such a fruit; drinking from it almost caused him to throw up in disgust. However, over the days, Keitaro had eventually accommodated to its sour and watery taste. He would sensibly take tiny sips from the shell, for his stomach would only allow small amounts of the fluid at a time.

Promise sat cross-legged alongside Keitaro, mimicking the same drinking habits as the young man. Sampling on his unorthodox breakfast, Keitaro picked up a faint, flowery smell that belonged to the carefree girl. Imaginary or not, she certainly looked real, and certainly smelt as any ordinary girl should. Regardless, Keitaro no longer cared if his mind was playing tricks on him or not; her presence alone made him momentarily forget about all of his troubles. Keitaro smiled, and was starting to feel sleepy... perfect. If he could fall asleep now and never wake up, that would be enough for him; at least he would find some measure of peace when he finally passed away.

Before he could fall asleep, a low rumbling sound alerted all of his senses. The source was coming from the sky, which had greyed considerably since he last remembered. Despite the threatening noise, Keitaro did not immediately rise to his feet. He found himself in a rather comfortable spot at this time, and would only surrender his location should he feel a few splashes of rain on him. Keitaro grimaced slightly; he did not want to spend the remainder of the day inside the cave again. He waited for the elements to alternate... but nothing happened. The sky reverted to its summery blue. There would be no showers after all; just a false alarm...

An unearthly chill emitted deep within his stomach, one that lingered far too long for his liking. It was extremely unsettling to say the least.

Keitaro felt a gentle prod on his right shoulder.

"Hey, is something wrong?" Promise asked, her voice hinted with concern.

Keitaro's eyes remained focused on the sky, as if preparing for an unseen danger.

"No... nothing is wrong," he briefly answered.

…

…

…

…

…

An abrupt movement of the train jolted her to one side, nearly making contact with another person. Compared to the cruise journey, this second method of transportation proved to be of a completely different contrast. In short, it was a grim and uncomfortable experience. The sea of people made her feel claustrophobic, and she felt at least a dozen eyes glued to her unique appearance. Until the train reached its destination, her only small measure of comfort was found in her pet cat, which she protectively cradled with her right arm and hand. The other hand was occupied with one of the many handles dangling from the top of the train; it was the only thing keeping her from moving all over the place.

At last the train slowed to a standstill.

Everyone spilled out of the train the moment the automated doors opened. The girl made sure her cat and the old lady were okay before securing her luggage. After departing from the train, the girl realised that this was the homestretch; Hinata-Sou was but a short distance away.

…

…

Should the girl had been travelling by herself, she would have easily settled the rest of the journey by foot. However, the old lady clearly showed signs of fatigue; the long distances definitely taking a toll on her weary body. The girl decided to phone for a taxi instead, and it only took a short while before the said vehicle would arrive.

It was by far the shortest of the three journeys; it only took eight minutes before the taxi driver parked to the requested location. After paying the driver, and departing from the vehicle, the travellers looked up at the massive flight of steps; the final obstacle separating the old lady and her family.

…

...

All morning, and most of the afternoon had Naru spent inside her bedroom. She managed to accomplish many successful hours of studying, and she was so delighted with Keitaro and the progress he has made thus far. Naru suggested now would be a good time to take a break; Keitaro was certainly due one, and it would truly be nice to have a different change of scenery.

"Oh, wait," she remembered, "I need to clean the hot-springs today."

She untangled herself from her cross-legged position and rose to her feet.

"Why don't we clean the hot-springs together?"

She clasped her hands together and nodded in agreement.

"Good idea! That way, we can get the job done in half the time!"

Not caring about the slight numbness in her legs and feet, Naru skipped downstairs to the living room, and made her way outside the dormitory, completely ignoring Haruka and the others. Haruka was currently cleaning the main floor, not knowing if her family will arrive on time or later. Motoko and Kitsune were doing their share of the tidying as well, whilst Shinobu and Su were preparing a platter of assorted edibles in the kitchen. Haruka caught eye of the leaving form of Naru and called out to her.

"Naru, what are you-"

Naru did not cease her movement.

"It's okay," she interrupted, "we're just going to clean the hot-springs."

Before a reply was made, Naru had already left the vicinity. A sudden chill began to take hold of Haruka's entire body, as she unconsciously let go of the mop she was cleaning with. Her forehead began to glow with a tremendous warmth.

She was caught offguard when Motoko's hand clasped onto her shoulder.

"Haruka-san? Are you okay?" the swordswoman asked.

As quick as a flash, the pain subsided, as if nothing had ever happened to her. Retaining her strength and composure, Haruka re-obtained the mop from the floor and began cleaning again.

"Mm, I'm fine," she replied.

…

…

Naru was a few steps away from the springs when she saw two people blocking her pathway; an old lady and a teenage girl. A black cat was present as well. Haruka mentioned something about Keitaro's stepsister and grandmother coming over to visit; were these the two people in question? The old woman... her name was... Hinata. Naru had seen her before somewhere, sometime. No, she thought, tossing all images of the past behind her; even if they were relatives of Keitaro, neither of them _were _Keitaro. Keitaro was with her; her and her alone. Nothing else mattered so long as Keitaro was by her side.

Hinata's eyes scarcely believed the sight in front of her. She was Naru, but not the girl Hinata remembered. Her hair was untidy, and her facial expression was void of any true light. Regarding her wardrobe, Hinata could only draw a single conclusion; they had to be clothes belonging to her grandson. Keitaro was the only male living in the dormitory; who else could they belong to?

"Naru-chan!" Hinata gasped, recoiling in fear, "Dear sweet child, what has happened to you?"

The gothic-dressed teenager placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder, trying everything in her power to calm her down. She was successful to a degree; Hinata settled herself despite feeling a little shaken.

"You are Naru Narusegawa, yes?" the girl asked, her voice a surprisingly neutral tone, given the circumstances, "My name is Kanako, and I too have found it extremely difficult to cope with my brother's... passing away. I hope the two of us can get along well, in spite of everything that has transpired."

Impulsively, Kanako offered Naru a handshake, cursing her forgetfulness that the traditional, Japanese method of greeting was with a formal bow; highly unusual for the girl, since Japan was the country of her birthplace. Unbeknownst to virtually everyone, Kanako has visited many countries and countless cities, and has become well acquainted with all of their customs, the first and foremost being how to greet others. She had no idea why she chose a Western-styled approach; perhaps it was due to a prolonged visit in the United States.

Regardless, Naru did not accept her greeting.

Kanako slowly withdrew her hand, not knowing what else to do in this highly tense situation.

"_Naru-chan," _Hinata thought worryingly, _"I know this is overbearing for you, but please, snap out of this trance! I beg of you! Please!"_

The auburn-haired girl... started to giggle. It was an unnerving sound which alerted the two guests, especially Hinata.

"Keitaro's... passing away?" Naru repeated, taking a step closer and locking her hazel orbs with Kanako's uncertain eyes. The two of them were separated by a mere three inches of space.

Naru shook her head in disappointment, as though feeling sorry for the girl standing in front of her.

"Keitaro has _not_ passed away," she added, her smile tightening, her eyes narrowing, "he never passed away. Keitaro is alive. Keitaro and I are together, and will _always_ remain together."

_**To be Continued...**_


End file.
